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PR05-07-2024Min PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD LONGWOOD CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS 175 WEST WARREN AVENUE LONGWOOD, FLORIDA MINUTES May 7, 2024 6:30 P.M. Present: Larissa Morgan, Chair Judi Coad, Vice-Chair David Putz, Member Lori Rice, Member Erin Keefe, Member Amanda Sackett, Member Chris Capizzi, Leisure Services Director Ryan Rinaldo, Recreation Manager Donna Alt-Bowes, Recording Secretary Absent: William "Bill" Overbeek, Member 1. CALL TO ORDER. Chair Morgan called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. PUBLIC INPUT. None. 3. ACTIONS ITEMS A. Approve Minutes from March 5, 2024 Meeting Member Putz requested a change to the minutes to include that he was speaking about deceased members of the military during his report on banners. Vice-Chair Coad moved to approve the March 5, 2024, minutes with the change requested by Member Putz. Seconded by Member Rice and motion carried by a unanimous voice vote with Member Overbeek absent. 4. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS Member Rice attended the Luau and commented on great entertainment, a huge crowd, and excellent weather. She received an email from the Florida Ethics Commission to register her account and also completed her form. She saw the pump track getting its annual maintenance and building the rest of the hills. She asked how long it would be closed. Mr. Capizzi responded that it will be back open tomorrow. P&R 05-07-2024/1 Member Rice said the dog park had some maintenance and asked what was put down. Mr. Capizzi responded that sand was put down. He advised that there used to be a toddler playground there years ago, and rubber mulch was used for the surface at the time. The rubber mulch eventually reached the surface, so it was removed. Discussion ensued concerning the rubber mulch, graffiti, sign replacement, and the culverts at the dog park. Mr. Capizzi stated they would clean and paint the culverts and advised that there was much graffiti all over the city. He noted that the people doing the graffiti were now using something called paint marker, which is harder to remove from the signs without damaging the letters on the signs. Discussion ensued regarding the signs around the park with graffiti, how to report them to the police department, and who takes care of replacing them. Member Rice asked about the misting fountains at Reiter Park and when they would be repaired. Mr. Rinaldo responded that it was an issue with the belt, and it had been ordered. He said the goal was to have them repaired by the Rock, Freedom, and Fireworks event, if not sooner. Member Rice said that before the autism event, which she could not attend, she advised that she spent some time at Reiter Park on the playground with her grandchild. She met three (3) different families on three (3) different days who come to Reiter Park regularly and had no idea this event was coming up. There was a young mother who thought her child had hearing issues, and she advised her to come to the autism event since they would be doing hearing tests. She said the young mother asked what it was and where it was at. It got her thinking about advertising at the park for our events in some fashion. Discussion ensued about advertising city events at Reiter Park. Mr. Capizzi responded that there had been past talks about putting a digital board at Reiter Park and that he would inquire about that this week and give them an update. Discussion continued about advertising at Reiter Park and the list of events in the utility bill. Member Rice understands that staff will work on a no-smoking policy at the park. Mr. Capizzi said he has already prepared the ordinance and agenda item, which would be presented to the Commission at the next meeting for the first reading. P&R 05-07-2024/2 Discussion ensued about the no smoking policy at the parks and how it would be enforced. Member Rice thanked staff for including the Pennies for Parks update in the agenda packet and asked if the meeting calendar would be changed for the rest of the year. Discussion ensued regarding the meeting calendar, and it was decided that no changes were made to it. Chair Morgan thanked Mr. Capizzi and Mr. Rinaldo for working alongside herself and her husband for the autism event. She felt there were many more participants, and the princesses were a big hit. She said the vendors were great, and they had more vendors than we had last year. The T-shirts went fast, and they would remedy that for next year. She would like to extend the event to three (3) hours and asked if a survey could be sent to their current vendors to get their feedback. She requested that staff forward her the email addresses for the vendors so that she could send a thank you on behalf of her and her family. She asked that staff budget more money for the event. Media coverage was very good for them, and they were able to get the event out there. People came to them that morning, saying they had seen her and Matt on the news and were at the event. Chair Morgan said the Luau was a great event, and the attendance was excellent, too. She thanked the staff for working alongside Aloha Productions. She was excited to get the Memorial Banners going and work with Member Putz to promote them. She will be throwing out the first pitch for the closing ceremonies for Longwood Babe Ruth Softball. She thanked Mrs. Alt-Bowes for getting her sister to help out with the autism event and said she was a big help and helped wherever she was needed. She thanked the board members who came to the Luau and said she appreciated their presence. She said it meant a lot to her when members came to her events and made her feel like it mattered. Member Sackett reported that she enjoyed both events and was looking forward to the upcoming events. She said it would be nice if there were some markers in the no-parking areas at Candyland Sports Complex so people would not take up three (3) spots instead of one (1), making it a little easier for people to find a spot to park. Member Keefe had no report. Vice-Chair Coad did not attend the Autism Walk but saw photos and it looked like a wonderful event. She said she was at the Luau but she did not go all day. She arrived thinking she was going to get her Hawaiian food but were sold out. She said it was wonderful to see it was a successful event and how full the lawn was with people waiting for the finale. She completed her ethics form. She asked about the 427 banners and said there was a real mess with them and she knows that contract was about to expire and we need to make some decisions on how we take this forward. She thanked staff for forwarding her the semi-inventory for Celebrate the Season. She asked about the bathrooms at Candyland Sports Complex that were brought up at the Commission meeting. P&R 05-07-2024/3 She said it seems to be an ongoing constant issue and asked staff what we are looking to do with them at this time. Mr. Capizzi responded that the main issue was the toilets. He noted that they were the prison-grade toilets they purchased; however, they did not know that the hole they are connected to is small and the handle needs to be held down to flush properly. He said he would probably take them out next fiscal year. He advised the Board that the women's bathroom would be painted a brighter color that week. Discussion ensued about the bathrooms at Candyland Sports Complex, with various perspectives and potential solutions being shared by staff. Vice-Chair Coad commented on the topic of cheaper food items at events discussed at the commission meeting last night. She realizes that when there are food trucks and similar vendors, it is hard to ask them to lower prices, especially with the current cost of everything. She felt that, as a Board, they needed to figure out what they could do to alleviate that concern. She also mentioned they have board money to spend and only a few months left to decide. In a review of some of her past Board materials for the last thirteen (13) years, they had talked about maps at Reiter Park at each sidewalk entrance. She asked if the staff could get them some prices. She also came across a message board to do advertising. She asked if the City was still considering putting some sort of a sign out on Ronald Reagan Boulevard (County Road 427) that will have rotating wording. She knew they would be redoing the intersection and wanted staff to be aware that it was a great way to advertise events. Mr. Capizzi responded that he was aware that plans might have incorporated a base for an electronic sign, but that was brought up some time ago. Discussion ensued about signage for events at Reiter Park. Vice-Chair Coad thought that in the empty area in front of the exercise equipment at Reiter Park, the Board should consider putting a nice tree in the middle that would grow up and eventually shade that area. Discussion ensued regarding planting a tree. It was mentioned that there was athletic activity in this area at Reiter Park, and a tree might impede that. Member Rice inquired about the status of the sprinkler system in the two (2) back circles, where the grass has been either diseased or affected by drought. Mr. Capizzi responded that they would be purchasing grass for that area. He advised the Board that the sprinkler system does work, and the issue with the grass was caused by armyworms that had damaged it. P&R 05-07-2024/4 Vice-Chair Coad presented those two (2) items to the Board to discuss using some money or having Mr. Capizzi get costs for that type of sign. Member Rice stated she would like to find out how much the Board has to spend because there may be other suggestions as well and asked if it was too early before the next meeting to have some type of a ballpark. Mr. Capizzi replied that it should be on the 131 Report. Discussion ensued concerning how much money the Board has to spend, the types of trees and sign boards to place at Reiter Park, and the cost. Mr. Capizzi will gather information about the costs and funding sources related to the 131 report and present it at the next Board meeting. Member Rice asked who made the native garden sign at the Community Development Building. Mr. Capizzi replied that Mr. Kintner had that sign made by the company that did all the Reiter Park signs. He said he believes that the sign cost around $2,000. Discussion ensued regarding the sign, making changes or replacing the sign if a new feature was added, utilizing the space where the current Fire Station 15 is located once the new station was built. Mr. Capizzi stated he would love to utilize the area of the current Fire Station for Parks and Recreation purposes. He noted they could expand the Farmer's Market and reviewed how he would like it expanded. Discussion ensued about expanding the Farmer's Market and the plans for that area once the new fire station was built. It was also mentioned that Commissioner Boni was looking into a Senior Center and working with Northland Church. Member Keefe mentioned her thoughts about the digital signs at the entrance of Reiter Park and asked if it would make more sense just to do a sign where you can swipe to get to a map. It could be combined with advertising for the events. She does not know how much those costs, but she knows that when she walks into a new construction development, they have electronic signs or kiosks with maps to touch what you want to see. Mr. Capizzi replied that he would look into where they were currently the digital signs and whether they purchased fixed non-digital signs or maps. Member Rice mentioned she appreciated that there was a sign that says restrooms with an arrow at Reiter Park. P&R 05-07-2024/5 Vice-Chair Coad asked how the Farmer's Market was doing. Mr. Rinaldo responded that it was doing very well. He said they have been averaging fifteen (15) to sixteen (16) vendors on a typical Saturday, and when there is an event, twenty (20) plus vendors. He said they have been doing a lot of advertising on Facebook, including a video with drone footage. They constantly re-evaluate the marketing and share in the 32750 Facebook group online. He said the City of Lake Mary has contacted them because they have lost their produce vendor and currently do not offer produce. Vice-Chair Coad asked staff to share information about the Jazz Festival this upcoming weekend because it was missing from the list of events. Mr. Capizzi responded that it was not on the list of events because they had a date figured out a long time ago, and it was on the same night as Lyman's prom, so they canceled. Bill Muse, the band Director, called last week to see if they could get this Saturday. He said the hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and there was no amplification, so we do not have to worry about calls from the local homeowners. Member Putz reported that while sitting in the Community Development Department waiting for a permit, the postman came in with a banner he found lying on the street on Ronald Reagan Boulevard (County Road 427). He said he was in Sanford last Saturday for the 5K for Melissa's Race for brain cancer. They raised quite a bit of money, and one thing he noticed was the huge parking lot, and the waterfront was a nice feature. He said June 29th is the July 4th event, and his Corvette club was so happy about last year's event that they made it an activity. They should have at least forty (40) plus people, which would make it about twenty (20) cars attending, of which most can park at my house. He said they are very excited about it and will have a picnic and cookout. He said he sent a simplified banner application to staff and asked if they received it. Staff indicated they did not receive it, so he gave it to them for review. He reviewed the designations for leaving the military, discharged, retire, or death and provided that information to staff. 5. STAFF REPORT Mr. Capizzi reported that this weekend was Longwood Babe Ruth's closing ceremony, and the Senior Matinee was on May 15 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The movie was Free Guy. The Mother and Son Dance was sold out this Thursday, and the Father-Daughter Dance would be in June. He said there was a Special Events List that you will see with all events from June 14 until the end of the year. This list was what was going out in the utility bill. He said they have already gone over the Dog Park, graffiti, and redoing the small dog area and asphalt for the skate park, and they are dealing with some signage for the Sunrail parking lots, which has been an issue. Still, they are cleaning them up and making sure that vehicles are not staying in the parking lot for multiple days at a time. The police department has been a great help with that. He noted they have compost coming out this Monday and purchased a top spreader to spread it more easily. Reiter Park will be covered in black P&R 05-07-2024/6 compost on Monday, which is safe for the kids and okay to walk on. He said they were cleaning several areas over at Reiter Park around the camphor tree and had to dislodge some of the rocks to allow water flow to go under the bridge. He brought the budget information to the board, which he will discuss with the city manager and finance director on Friday. He reviewed the operating, rentals and leases, and 131 fund account lines. Discussion ensued about increasing the budget for Barkfest and what would be needed for the event. The date of the event was October 5. Member Rice asked about the perimeter lighting for the Community Building and the pavilions. Discussion ensued regarding the perimeter lighting at the Community Building and Reiter Park. Member Rice asked if there was anything within the current budget to fix the clock tower or if you could get up there and paint the numbers. Mr. Capizzi said the City Clerk has something in store for that. Vice-Chair Coad requested that the National Night budget be increased to $1,500 based on what was spent last year. Discussion ensued about National Night Out and increasing the budget if they needed to purchase the food if it was not donated. Vice-Chair Coad asked about the Pirate Festival and the status of putting it on next year. She was thinking back to commission meetings and conversations surrounding that event, which was a big budgeted amount. Mr. Capizzi replied that this year went better than last year. The attendance was much better. He said if it had gone down from where it was last year, we would think about redoing the event. He believes that since the attendance was better, the entertainment was good, and the kid zone was a huge hit; we will have it next year. Vice-Chair Coad asked if we should increase the budget for the Fourth of July event because it will be for next year, and based on what we spent last year, we almost hit that$27,000. Discussion ensued about the budget amount for the Fourth of July event. There was also discussion concerning the amounts currently budgeted for all of the fiscal year 2024/2025 events. Member Rice asked if staff could find out any information on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) with the county. P&R 05-07-2024/7 Mr. Capizzi said he thought that the grant deadline had passed already. Discussion ensued regarding researching this CDBG grant and whether they can add anything. Vice-Chair Coad asked about the fountains brought to the Board at the last meeting and if the staff has moved forward with anything. Mr. Capizzi responded that they are waiting on their third quote. He said he met with the third company last week, and all of the fountains are in the $11,000 to $14,000 range. Once he receives the third quote, they will need to obtain costs for running electricity. Discussion ensued regarding the electrical for the fountains, the third quote, and the fence lighting at Reiter Park. 6. ADJOURNMENT Vice-Chair Coad moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Member Putz and motion carried by a unanimous voice vote with Member Overbeek absent. Chair Morgan adjourned the meeting at 8:06 p.m. Minutes approved by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board: 06-04-2024 Larissa Morgan, Chair ATTEST: Donna Alt-Bowes, Recording Secretary P&R 05-07-2024/8